I am thinking of upgrading my 80 2005 for a 74 2007. I have seen no reviews of this board from UK magazines. Anyone used one yet? How is this new spiralling vee concept?

I am sailing in Tarifa and the 80 has been a great board. Need something smaller...

Any comments?

Jonathan

23rd October 2006, 08:23 AM

I would also be interested to hear any feedback on the new PA 68 and how it compares to an Evo 62 as a very high wind board for me at 68kg. Interested in both bump and jump use as well as onshore wave, fundamentally I understand the difference between the two styles of board but there seems to be subtle variation within each range. As the PA 68 is new it would be interesting to hear what the intended use was and whether it crosses into the new gen zone or remains as a true down the line gun. The problem I find in really strong wind is that it becomes so hard to actually slow down enough to catch the wave instead of just blasting over it. I have an Evo 74 but once it gets really windy it gets way too big, particularly in bump and jump. I guess the other one to throw into the mix is the Evo 70 but this seems too close to my 74 in size to really make the difference. Any thoughts would be most welcome. Thanks

Giuseppe from Italy

26th October 2006, 06:15 PM

No news?;)

marksw

27th October 2006, 01:39 AM

Still no news? Perhaps there isn&#39;t any!

The RRD Hardcore Wave 74 is getting really positive reviews so maybe I will buy one of them

Very strange that neither Boards or Windsurf magazines from UK in Sept. & Oct wave board reviews and no Acid.

matyix

28th October 2006, 08:23 PM

That&#39;s because by the time the tests were taken the PA was not in the stores ...

cuno

21st November 2006, 05:02 PM

Just go for the acid 74 wood! I&#39;ve bought the board about a month ago and it&#39;s the nicest board I&#39;ve used in my life! Last year I&#39;ve been sailing the evo 74 wood 2006. Before I bought this board I&#39;ve tried the JP RRW pro edition (team sailors only, not for sale) 2007, the guerilla 2007 and RRD&#39;s. I sail both Holland and WA in OZ and it works great in all conditions. Don&#39;t beleive the tests that say you need masthigh waves for this board to work, it works in on to sideshore shitty dutch waves a well.

Guys from SB, thanks for building such a nice board!

cuno

21st November 2006, 05:03 PM

Just go for the acid 74 wood! I&#39;ve bought the board about a month ago and it&#39;s the nicest board I&#39;ve used in my life! Last year I&#39;ve been sailing the evo 74 wood 2006. Before I bought this board I&#39;ve tried the JP RRW pro edition (team sailors only, not for sale) 2007, the guerilla 2007 and RRD&#39;s. I sail both Holland and WA in OZ and it works great in all conditions. Don&#39;t beleive the tests that say you need masthigh waves for this board to work, it works in on to sideshore shitty dutch waves a well.

Guys from SB, thanks for building such a nice board!

Ola_H

21st November 2006, 11:30 PM

Seems like I missed this post.

I agree with Cuno, the PA74 is surely a special board. Its one of these boards that just feels right. The spiraling v works in very well, just as on the Kombats. It engages when you enter a turn at lots of speed and do a kind of front footed turn and then it just glues the front end to the radius you&#39;re turning. Turning like on rails is an often used phrase, but here it fits unusually well. This goes both for turning on a wave and flat water. I personally liked it a lot for blasting. I tested it in waves but kept doing speed runs outside of the breaks every round just to feel the board work. Despite being about as wide as the 05 80 it will definitely feel smaller.

Jonatan:I think all the Pure Acids crosses over to perform on cross onshore too (but still keep their style). The PA68 has a bit more drawn out outline than the 74, but will still handle slower speed OK (but the 74 does this better). I actually looked at my testing protocol from PA07 testing the other day, and I wrote that the 68 clearly felt like the right size for me (I&#39;m 69 kilos).

As you suggest, both the EVo 70 and particularly the 62 are valid options too. The 70 works in lots of wind, but you need to be very committed to handle its relatively big size. If you do this the more drive built into the shape is wonderful. I sometimes use it even with a 3.5 despite that I also have the 62. It may seem close in size to the 74/75, but the control factor in lots of wind is actually heaps better on the 70.

The 62 is an easier board to ride once your super powered up. Its narrower tail makes it less critical how you set up the top turn and is extremely easy to control in a straighline to. It handles 4.5 and 5.0 well too, but ust want to be a bit more powered up on a wave to stay efficient.

Please ask again if you want more info.

Giuseppe from Italy

19th December 2006, 05:27 PM

Hi at all,
If is possible I would like to know more info about Pa 74/07 in real wave conditions (example Mauritius conditions real big wave/low/medium wind).
In particular what about:
1) Up wind propension (to arrive first on the pic of the wave...)
2) Bottom turn in real big wave front foot/back foot, short turn/long turn, grip propension, one foot off not to much wide at my weight (69 kg).
3) Early planning propension
4) Top end speed/ high jump.
I ask this beacuse at the moment I am learning real wave riding and I like directional/classic wave board.
Thanks in advance.
Giuseppe :)

Giuseppe from Italy

20th December 2006, 10:00 PM

Anybody try Pa 74 in real wave?:)

Ola_H

21st December 2006, 03:04 AM

I rode it on Maui, Kanaha and Hookipa from 2 feet to logo+. Especially the Hookipa wave would probably be classified as "real" by most. Incidentally, I&#39;m exactly your weight. I&#39;ll try to answer below:

Q1) Up wind propension (to arrive first on the pic of the wave...)
A1) Its good and easy upwind, also with fairly small and flexy fins.

Q2) Bottom turn in real big wave front foot/back foot, short turn/long turn, grip propension, one foot off not to much wide at my weight (69 kg).
A2) Hard to summarice, but I would say there are two aspects that stand out. This first is that the tail feel rather narrow under you back foot, but at the same time incredibly solid. It&#39;s liks you have this high performance sharp tool, right at the command of your back foot. It just gives you a feel of being very directly connected to the water (like a high performance carving ski - if you&#39;re a skier). The second aspect is that the spiraling v really works when you engage the front rail at speed. Normally the board has a fairly round outline which makes it loose and easy to vary the carve on, but once you "set it" on the front rail it locks in and gets extremely secure. I can&#39;t say much more than that its a super natural bottom turner.

Q3) Early planning propension
A3) Can&#39;t complain here either. It&#39;s not gonna be a small board for anyone our weight and since the rocker is fast and effective it planes up quick.

Q4) Top end speed/ high jump.
A4) ...and by the same reasons as above it is also very quick. It simply a joy to push it to go faster and faster on the way out and it also takes a fully lit sail in a great way.

What I can add is that I&#39;m used to the more heavily rockered EVOs and on a place like Hookipa the tail of the PA74 felt almost to stiff for me and the board got sensitive to to big fins. Prefered 22 or smaller for good size waves. I&#39;m far from a Hookipa specialist though and both the character of the wave and the place in general is such that I sail better on a board I _really_ know (which would be the EVO 70 for me). The PA74 was new for me when I used it there (I was sailing the the proto that went into production and also a narrower version which turned out to be not as good). But even "stepping down" to the Kanaha wave (which can be really good to when the size goes up a bit) made the PA74 go back to completely natural and intuitive again.

Didn&#39;t you buy an Evo 62? What are your thoughts about after the "new board shine" has worn off. I&#39;d be interested to hear if it was big enough to use regularly and how you found it.

Cheers,
Jonathan

Giuseppe from Italy

21st December 2006, 04:49 PM

Hi Jonathan, yes! During the season 2005 I have had 05 Evo 62 model.
Yes Evo was big enough to use regulary but this only in small wave or bump and jump conditions where the board is perfect!
In august 2006 I was in Mauritius in real big/fast/side wave, and it was necessary to use a more big board. So I&#39;ve changed it before to start.
Sure Evo 62 is the best board that I have used in Pozo conditions.
Total total control in all conditions I ensure real impressive, the board was good also in Garda lake medium wind conditions (early planning).
I&#39;ve find evo 62 not so easy or suitable in big/fast wave+strong current + low/medium wind.
If you think to do Evo in Pozo conditions go for Evo 62, but if yuo think to youse it in big/fast wave, do for an Evo more big.
Hope this help
ciao :)